Griddle-Cooked Corn Bread Recipe

Use this corn bread recipe to scoop up your favorite curries and Indian dishes.

By Raghavan IyerFrom "660 Curries"December 2015

This griddle-cooked corn bread can help tie any Indian dish together.Photo by Fotolia/Picture Partners

“660 Curries,” by Rhagavan Iyer, is full of delightful Indian recipes that will please your palate.Cover courtesy Workman Publishing

Curry is the gateway to Indian cooking. It is the backbone of Indian cooking, it’s the glory of Indian cooking.660 Curries(Workman Publishing, 2008), by Rhagavan Iyer, is jam-packed with easy one-dish dinners that dance on the palate, in recipes created from the home kitchen. This recipe for Griddle-Cooked Corn Bread is from the section “Spice Blends and Pastes.”

Griddle-Cooked Corn Bread

You say “Makkai ki roti ” to a Punjabi, andhe or she will reply, “Sarson da saag.” Thisflaky, grainy, succulent bread is a must forscooping up mounds of ghee-drenched mustardgreens, providing a perfect balanceto the greens’ bitterness. This simple food satisfiesthe hardworking individual, especially at lunchtime: All that’s needed is a stack of these breads,a mound of pureed greens, and a few fresh green cayenne chiles to bite into in between mouthfuls of addiction.

Instructions:

1. Combine the corn flour and salt in a medium-size bowl.

2. Combine the ginger and chiles in a food processor, and pulse until minced. Add this to the flour mixture.

3. Drizzle a few tablespoons of the warm water over the mixture, stirring it in as you do so. Repeat until the mixture starts to come together to form a ball; you will use about 1/2 cup warm water altogether. Feel the ball: It should be slightly moist, and there should be no flour in the bottom of the bowl. With your clean, dry hand, gently knead the ball to form a soft dough—which will feel bumpy, thanks to the ginger and chiles (do this in the bowl or on a lightly floured surface).

4. Divide the dough into 10 portions, and shape each portion into a ball. Keep the balls covered with plastic wrap or with a slightly damp paper towel.

5. Tear off a large sheet of aluminum foil, fold it in half lengthwise, and set it aside. Tear off 1 sheet of wax paper about 12 inches wide, plus 11 sheets, each about 8 inches wide.

6. Place a ball of dough on the 12 inch piece of wax paper (leaving the others under cover). Press it down to form a patty, and then use your fingers to stretch it out as you press it into an evenly thin round, roughly 4 to 6 inches in diameter and 1⁄8 inch thick (the shape might be not be a perfect round, especially the first few times you try this). Gently peel the round off the paper, plop it onto a smaller sheet of wax paper, and cover it with a second sheet. Repeat with the other dough rounds, stacking them between sheets of wax paper as they are formed.

7. Preheat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat.

8. Transfer a round to the hot skillet. Cook until the underside has a slight sheen with light brown patches, 2 to 4 minutes. Flip it over and cook the other side, 2 to 3 minutes (this side won’t get that sheen; instead, it will look like a parched landscape). Brush the sheen side with ghee and flip it over to sear it, about 30 seconds. Brush the parched side with ghee and sear that side too, about 30 seconds. Slip the round between the layers of foil to keep it warm. (The steam created inside the foil will drench the parched side and make it just as appealing as the pretty side.) Continue cooking with the remaining rounds. Then serve.

Tip: Look for bags of masa harina (corn flour) in the ethnic-foods aisle of your supermarket. You can also find it in Indian and Pakistani markets, as well as Hispanic stores. Regular cornmeal yields a grainier texture and does not hold together as well to make a spreadable dough.

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